CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) 鈥� The fallout from Venezuela’s has evolved into a major test for acting President Delcy Rodr铆guez, sending her scrambling to prevent the humanitarian disaster from becoming a political one as her mandate as interim leader expires Friday.
A day after Rodr铆guez the competence of her government’s relief effort at her first news conference since the June 24 disaster, her main rival, exiled Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate issued her own appeal.
Speaking Friday from Panama, Machado argued that the government’s quake response exposed its critical weaknesses and that her return to Venezuela 鈥渃ontributes to facilitating the transition process, especially after the tragedy.鈥�
“My presence stabilizes the situation; it is part of the organizing forces that the country needs at a time when the total absence of the state has become evident,” Machado said, referring to widespread criticism of the government鈥檚 earthquake response as slow and disorganized. 鈥淭he country needs figures it can trust.鈥�
The quakes have killed more than 2,295 people and injured over 11,000 others, according to the government, which has not offered updates on the dead and injured since Wednesday. Machado’s opposition movement has set up a digital database to locate the missing that currently lists over 36,000 people unaccounted for. Her party has mobilized volunteers to collect donations in Venezuela and solicited aid from the country’s vast diaspora.
鈥淢y presence … seeks to bring people together, to unify, not only to address an emergency, but also to heal the wound,鈥� said the opposition leader, who was barred from running in a 2024 presidential election in which claimed victory. An independently verified vote count carried out by the opposition found that the candidate that Machado endorsed, , was the real winner.
The US praises Rodr铆guez, blocks Machado
When the earthquakes hit, Machado saw a critical opportunity to return home for the first time since fleeing a Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. Ever since the United States captured Maduro in a brazen military operation in January, Machado and calling for a democratic transition.
But the Trump administration has thrown its support behind Rodr铆guez since Maduro’s ouster, praising her business-friendly reforms of the country鈥檚 lucrative oil sector and giving no timetable on when elections might be held.
Two senior U.S. officials familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to disclose private diplomatic discussions, told The Associated Press that the Trump administration has grown frustrated with Machado and dissuaded her from returning to Venezuela in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
One official said that Machado had sought assistance from Washington for ferrying her to Venezuela from the Dutch Caribbean territory of Cura莽ao and also from Panama, where she is now.
The second official said the U.S. suspected she wanted to return to lead protests against Rodr铆guez and push for political change at a time when the focus should be on quake recovery. This official added that the Trump administration could not prevent Machado’s return but was not in a position to facilitate it.
Earthquake fallout becomes political
Upon learning of Machado鈥檚 imminent plans to return, Rodr铆guez shut down commercial air traffic into Caracas, the U.S. official said. Those canceled flights had been due to bring in hundreds of relief workers to assist with earthquake recovery efforts, the official said.
On Monday, Machado claimed that the government had closed its airspace to prevent her return, without offering evidence. The government did not respond to a request for comment on the alleged closure.
Seemingly concerned that anger over the earthquake response could jeopardize her authority, Rodr铆guez on Thursday blamed any criticism on what she called 鈥渘arratives manufactured in propaganda laboratories.” She claimed that rescue crews deployed immediately with adequate equipment to disaster zones 鈥� contrary to that they were left alone to search for their loved ones without official teams or heavy machinery for the first 48 hours.
鈥淭hose propaganda operations, driven by partisan political interests, are despicable,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e did not wait one day, two days or three days. We activated immediately.鈥�
She went on to say that thousands of civil and military rescue workers as well as 11 international field hospitals had been deployed to quake-affected areas, adding that the government had approved the creation of a fund to receive donations for reconstruction.
On Friday, state-run media broadcast her paying a visit in the hospital to Hern谩n Alberto Gil Flores, a 43-year-old security guard pried from a collapsed basement after surviving nearly eight days under the rubble. His Thursday served as rare bright spots in one of the bleakest periods in memory for Venezuela.
Unclear what happens when mandate expires
Under Venezuela鈥檚 constitution, temporary absences are to be filled by the vice president 鈥� which was Rodr铆guez鈥檚 former role 鈥� , after which they can be extended by the national assembly for an additional 90 days.
On Friday, that 180-day interim period expired. There was no immediate comment from authorities on what, if anything, they would do in response to the expiration of Rodr铆guez鈥檚 mandate.
The National Assembly, controlled by Rodr铆guez鈥檚 party, can trigger a snap election if lawmakers declare the post permanently vacant.
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DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press reporter Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
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